常春藤解析英语 38 A Kiss Isn't Just a Kiss　送你一个吻

A Kiss Isn't Just a Kiss　送你一个吻

by Marcus Maurice

Kissing is one of human beings' most frequently misunderstood acts. Particularly when people from different cultures meet, this common action can cause some major embarrassment if done _(1)_. This is because kissing can display levels of respect or emotion that _(2)_ culture to culture.

Kissing is thought to have started when parents chewed up food and then fed the soft _(3)_ to a baby or small child. Anthropologists believe that this happened in every culture before baby foods became _(4)_ in the marketplace.

Kissing friends and family members is called a social kiss and it has many variations. Many adults give a smooch to loved ones, but _(5)_ on culture or family, it can be on the lips or on the cheek. In some groups, one or a pair of kisses are given on the cheek as a friendly _(6)_ and may even be shared by those who have just met.

A ceremonial kiss is more formal, and popular in European countries. When leaders of countries or other higher-ups meet, they give a quick peck on both cheeks. This kiss _(7)_ the goodwill between the two parties the people are representing. Furthermore, a kiss can be the ultimate _(8)_ of romance. Kissing someone we love can be a thrilling way to show our affection. Native Americans believed that exhaling breath into another person would help _(9)_ their souls.

Whether social, ceremonial, or romantic, kisses _(10)_ people's desire to join together. The kiss is one of the most popular social practices in the world today. It is safe to say that almost all adults have felt the soft touch of a pair of lips on their own.

(A) greeting (B) common (C) symbolizes (D) vary from (E) expression

(F) arose from (G) combine (H) depending (I) remains (J) incorrectly

原来如此

1. ...this common action can cause some major embarrassment if done incorrectly.

理由:

a. 空格前 if 引导的副词子句省略了与前句相同的主词，原句应为：

...this common action can cause some major embarrassment if this common action is done...

b. 根据上述，原句空格前的 if done 实等于 if this common action is done(如果这种普遍的行为被做)。由于 is done(被做)是动词词组，故应以副词修饰。选项中仅 (J) incorrectly(不正确地)为副词，故为正选。

c. incorrectly adv. 不正确地

2. ...kissing can display levels of respect or emotion that vary from culture to culture.

理由:

a. 空格前有关系代名词 that 代替其前的复数名词 levels of respect or emotion。此处 that 作主词，此外，由于本段时态均为现在式，得知空格应置入现在式复数动词。

b. 选项中仅 (D) vary from(随……不同)与 (G) combine(结合)为现在式复数动词，唯根据语意，(D) 应为正选。

c. vary from...to...　　从……到……有所不同

例: Fans of Jay Chou vary from very young children to grandparents.

(周杰伦的歌迷老少皆有。)

3. ...when parents chewed up food and then fed the soft remains to a baby or small child.

理由:

a. 空格前有定冠词 the 和形容词 soft(柔软的)，可知空格应置入名词。

b. 选项中为名词的有 (A) greeting(问候)、(E) expression(表现)及 (I) remains(剩余物)，但仅 remains 置入后符合语意，故 (I) 为正选。

c. remains n. 剩余的物品(恒用复数)

4. ...this happened in every culture before baby foods became common in the marketplace.

理由:

a. 空格前有不完全不及物动词 became(变成)，其后应置名词或形容词作主词补语。

b. 符合上述条件的选项有 (A) greeting(问候)、(B) common(普遍的)及 (E) expression(表达)，但仅 common 置入后符合语意，故 (B) 为正选。

c. common a. 普遍的

5. ...but depending on culture or family, it can be on the lips or on the cheek.

理由:

a. 本空格测试下列固定用法：

Depending on..., S + V　　视……而定，……

例: Depending on your mood, we can go out tonight or just stay home.

(我们今晚可以外出也可以待在家，端看你的心情而定。)

b. 根据上述，故选 (H)。

6. In some groups, one or a pair of kisses are given on the cheek as a friendly greeting...

理由:

a. 空格前有不定冠词 a 和形容词 friendly(友善的)，可知空格内应置入单数名词。

b. 选项 (A) greeting(问候)为单数名词，置入后亦符合语意，故为正选。

c. greeting n. 问候，打招呼

7. The kiss symbolizes the goodwill between the two parties the people are representing.

理由:

a. 空格前的名词 kiss(亲吻)为本句的主词，其后的名词 the goodwill(善意)为受词，可知此处应置入第三人称单数及物动词。

b. 选项 (C) symbolizes(象征)符合上述条件，置入后语意通顺，故为正选。

c. symbolize vt. 象征

例: This gift symbolizes the long friendship our two countries have had.

(这项礼物象征我们两国长久以来的友谊。)

8. Furthermore, a kiss can be the ultimate expression of romance.

理由:

a. 空格前有定冠词 the 和形容词 ultimate(终极的)，可知空格应置入名词。

b. 选项 (E) expression(表现)为名词，且置入后亦符合语意，故为正选。

c. expression n. 表现，表达

9. ...believed that exhaling breath into another person would help combine their souls.

理由:

a. 空格前有动词 help，而 help 可用于下列句构：

help (to) V　　帮助……

例: Could you help (to) do the dishes?

(你可以帮忙洗碗吗?)

b. 根据上述，(G) combine(结合)为原形及物动词，之后的 their souls(他们的灵魂)作其受词，合乎语意及文法，故 (G) 为正选。

c. combine vt. 结合

combine A with B　　结合 A 与 B

例: If we combine these two classes, there will be too many students.

(如果把两班合在一起的话，学生人数会太多。)

10. Whether social, ceremonial, or romantic, kisses arose from people's desire to join together.

理由:

a. 根据判断，空格前的名词 kisses(亲吻)是主词，空格后的名词 people's desire(人们的欲望)是受词，得知空格应置复数及物动词或及物词组动词。

b. 选项中仅剩 (F) arose from(起因于)为词组动词，置入后亦符合语意，故 (F) 应为正选。

c. arise from...　　起因于……

= result from...

arise 动词三态：arise, arose, arisen。

例: Social problems like violence arise from poverty.

(像暴力这类的社会问题常起因于贫穷。)

精解字词词组

1. misunderstand vt. 误会

注意:

本文中的 misunderstood(被误解的)为过去分词作形容词用。

例: I think you misunderstood what I said.

(我想你误会我说的话了。)

2. display vt. 展现;陈列

例: The painter displayed his latest works in the art gallery.

(该画家在那家艺廊展示自己最新的作品。)

3. chew up.../chew...up　　嚼碎∕咀嚼……

例: I don't have my homework today because my dog chewed it up.

(我今天没法交作业，因为被我的狗吃掉了。)

* 这是美国小朋友没写作业时经常用的借口。

注意:

chew 尚有下列重要用法：

bite off more than one can chew

贪多嚼不烂，自不量力：从事太多工作而无力完成

例: When he took that difficult job, he bit off more than he could chew.

(他接下那份困难的工作实在是自不量力。)

4. share vt. 分享

share sth with sb　　和某人分享某物

例: Billy is very generous; he always shares his toys with his friends.

(比利很大方;他总是把自己的玩具分给朋友一起玩。)

5. represent vt. 代表

例: I would be proud to represent my country at the Olympics.

(能代表国家参加奥运我深感骄傲。)

6. exhale vt. & vi. 呼出

inhale vt. & vi. 吸进

例: I need to buy a mask because I inhale a lot of dust when riding my scooter.

(我需要买个口罩，因为骑机车时会吸进好多灰尘。)

7. It is safe to say + that 子句　　说……准不会错，可以肯定地说……

例: It is safe to say that any small child would love to go to Disneyland.

(说所有小朋友都喜欢去迪斯尼乐园准没错。)

单字小铺

1. frequently adv. 频繁，常常

2. particularly adv. 尤其

3. embarrassment n. 尴尬，难为情

4. emotion n. 情感

5. anthropologist n. 人类学家

6. marketplace n. 市场

7. variation n. 变化

8. smooch n. 亲吻

9. cheek n. 脸颊

10. friendly a. 友善的

11. ceremonial a. 礼仪(上)的

12. formal a. 正式的

13. higher-up n. 高层人物

14. peck n. 轻啄

15. goodwill n. 善意

16. ultimate a. 最大的，终极的

17. thrilling a. 令人兴奋的

18. affection n. 感情

19. romantic a. 爱情的，浪漫的

20. practice n.(社会的)惯例，习俗

中文翻译&标准答案

亲吻是人类最容易造成误解的行为之一。尤其是当来自不同文化的人们相遇时，若是亲吻不当，这种寻常行为可能造成令人非常尴尬的场面。这是因为随着文化不同，亲吻展现出的敬意和情感程度也不相同。

亲吻被认为是由父母亲咀嚼食物，再将软烂的嚼碎物喂食婴儿和小孩开始的。人类学家相信在婴儿食品普及市场之前，各个文化中都可以发现这种行为。

亲吻朋友和家人称之为社交亲吻，而且巧妙各有不同。许多成年人会亲吻所爱的人，但依文化或家庭不同，这个吻有可能落在唇上或脸颊上。在某些群体中，落在脸颊上的吻是友善的问候方式，甚至会发生在初次见面的人身上。

基于礼节的亲吻比较正式，在欧洲国家很普遍。当各国领袖或其它高阶会面时，他们会在脸颊两边快速亲一下。这种亲吻象征两造代表的双方之间的善意。尤有甚者，亲吻也是爱情的终极表现。亲吻自己所爱的人是令人兴奋的情感表达方式。美国原住民相信，将气渡给另一个人可以使两人的灵魂结合。

不论是社交上的、基于礼仪的，或是浪漫的，亲吻都起于人们想紧密相连的欲望。亲吻是今日世界最普遍的社会习俗之一。可以打包票说，几乎每个成年人都曾经体验过他人柔软双唇的触感。

标准答案:　1. (J)　2. (D)　3. (I)　4. (B)　5. (H)　6. (A)　7. (C)　8. (E)　9. (G)　10. (F)